Healing a wind sorceress
by KaguraXShesshomaru
Summary: Naraku sends Kagura to kidnap Kagome, she fails and is struck by the windscar leaving her severly injured. Naraku is furius and sends his gaurds after her to kill her. Somehow a young girl, convinces her cold hearted inuyoukai master to save Kagura's life
1. Chapter 1

Insolent wench!" Naraku yelled throwing back his hand then smacking her across the face. She flew backward against his han-you strength. She let out a cry of pain hitting the wall it crumbling beneath the force of his blow. "Why I let you live I do not know!" he yelled trudging over to her picking her up by her neck and throwing her up against the wall. In the battle Inuyasha used the Kaze no Kize on her and nearly dissolved her kimono. He tore the tattered remains of her kimono from her laughing sadistically as tears leaked from her eyes.

She thrashed and kicked with the meager energy she still had. He had ordered her to bring Kagome to him. "The finder of the shards." Or so he called her. The glowing red orb that was her heart appeared in his hand. Kagura's eyes widened in shock and trembling fear. He squeezed on the small beating orb...hard. She gasped for breath. It felt like her chest was being crushed. "Fuck You." she whispered with a tight gasp of air.

"I shouldn't go to the effort to kill such a waste of my flesh as you!" He said taking her up by then neck again throwing her outside of his palace and to the ground. His guards watched as she struggled to get up. She covered her bare self from him in a degraded shame. She grabbed her only possession, her fan, and ran.

He smirked. "So weak…kill her." He said to his guards that surrounded him watching the topless women running away from him as fast as she could. She knew what he was going to do…so she ran as fast and hard as she could. The men raced after her spears and swords in hand. She stumbled over a tree root and hit the ground with a thud. "Ouch!" she whimpered as the blood began to flow from the cuts across her chest.

With one final desperate attack she lashed out her fan. "Dance of blades!" she yelled surprising he guards. They hadn't expected a fight…and now they were all slaughtered. She desperately crawled towards at the river about 4 yards away. She needed to wash her wounds. The wounds stung with the sensation of blood mixing with sweat…

She made it to the river exhausted from the chase and the earlier battle with Inuyasha and his friends. She washed her face and drank the icy cold water. She felt so dizzy… so weak. The cuts across her chest were dripping with blood and she was loosing too much. She fell forward into the river completely unconscious. She couldn't breath…the water filled her lungs throwing her underneath the water. Adrenaline kicked in and she managed to regain consciousness. What she saw terrified her…

She was heading straight for the falls. She tried to scream but her mouth was flooded with water as she was pulled bellow the surface once again…

"Lord Sesshomaru, I am afraid." Came a small girls voice. "Of what." He asked walking past a stream. "I see a dead woman." She said pulling his sleeve slightly. He stopped. "That woman is not dead…" he could not recognize her scent since she was floating in the water. "She's alive?" Rin asked running towards the stream, she grabbed the woman's arm and pulled with all her might. She managed to drag her half way to the shore.

"Lord Sesshomaru, may Rin ask that you help Rin help the woman?" she asked her lower lip threatening to curve under. He sighed a heavy sigh and pushed Rin out of the water lightly. He picked up the mud covered, water soaked woman in his arms bridal style. She groaned in pain, her cuts and bruises immense.

He set her down on a small clearing of grass. Rin grabbed and wet the handkerchief she carried in her pocket and wiped the blood and mud from her face. Jaken watched intently as Rin attempted to help the poor woman. "That's Kagura!" Jaken squawked in his loud squeaky voice. Sesshomaru's head snapped up from his train of thought. For some reason his heart tugged.

"Rin, this women needs to be tended." He said lacking any sign of emotion. "I will give you some money and you will go to the village and but bandages and salve." He said calmly. Rin had accepted the coins he had given her and trotted of towards the village trade. She came upon the "general store' or what was considered one in feudal Japan and trotted up to the woman at the counter.

"Excuse me madam, I need bandages and suave." The women looked at her strangely "do you mean salve?" the woman asked. "Mhm!" Rin said cheerily nodding her head. How many bandages do you need?" the woman asked. "Lots." She said. The woman nodded and walked towards a small bamboo shelf. The woman came back with a satchel of gauze, antiseptic, tape, and salve. "Is this enough?" the kind woman asked. Rin nodded furiously. "That will be ten coins." The women said handing her the bag. Rin handed her the coins and trotted out of the store.

Rin ran towards the clearing. Sesshomaru had bathed and covered Kagura. She had been completely naked when Rin had found her but he couldn't tell. She had been so caked with mud and her own blood. He removed his Haori and covered her with it as a makeshift blanket. He saw her shivering in the cold wind…

"I'm not being kind I just don't want Rin to cry if she were to die…it's so annoying." He lied to himself. Rin came running towards them a small bag in her hands. "I got the bandages you asked for Lord Sesshomaru." She said out of breath from running. "Good." He said sitting Kagura up. He cleaned and dressed the wounds rapping the gauze up around her stomach and chest. He brought it up over her shoulder and tied it off.

Jaken built a fire. Rin fetched the wood. Sesshomau laid Kagura down by the fire and covered her body with his haori. His heart clenched at her sad beaten appearance…

All but Sesshomaru lay down to sleep. He didn't need to yet about three days from now he would need to sleep. He held tokijin-keeping watch over the small camp. Kagura groaned. He looked up watching her stir. She blinked and coughed. She gagged some of the water still in her lungs. He stood and walked over to her. "What happened?" she sputtered.

"You tell me." He said kneeling beside her. "I don't remember much…Naraku beat me and sent his guards after me." She said with a sigh. "I was fighting Inuyasha and lost…so he beat me." She said propping herself up on her elbows. "The last thing I remember." She said pulling his haori tighter over her shoulders. "Was..the falls."

"He gave up his shirt to keep me warm?" she thought lying back down next to the fire. "He bandaged and tended me too." She thought looking at the white tape covering her entire torso. Her eyelids grew heavy…she stifled a yawn and fell asleep once again. …

The sun rose he next morning. She awoke to the sun shining in her eyes. She sat up her opaque red eyes adjusting to the new light. Rin came running back with a basket of berries. "Look Madam I brought you food." She said hopping up and down. Her mouth was stained red and was smiling wide.

Kagura ate a handful of the berries. She didn't want to disappoint the young girl but she wasn't that hungry either…

"Thank you Rin." She said lying back down on the soft grass. Jaken walked back towards them. "When did he leave?" Kagura wondered pulling Sesshomaru's haori tighter around herself. Jaken carried a small package of cloth. "Here Kagura, Lord Sesshomaru ordered that you no longer wear such indecent attire. She wanted to yell at him how it wasn't her fault that she had washed up on a shore naked.

But she bit her lip and gladly accepted the parcel. It was a comfortable looking kimono. It was red and black and it looked warm. It was a little big for her, but it was beautiful. It was mostly red with small black designs. It had two layers. The inner layer made of comfortable cotton and the outer layer made of satin.

She couldn't sit up very well, the battle with Inuyasha and his friends was raging and she had barely made it back to Naraku's castle. Then he beat her. And the chase had been painful. "Lady Kagura, Rin will help you dress if you wish." She sighed. She hated being dependant on others. Somehow Sesshomaru read her mind. "There is a difference between dependency and codependency." He said walking off towards the forest with Jaken. "She has been degraded enough for one day." He said quietly to Jaken.

Jaken's mind was reeling. "Why is Lord Sesshomaru being so kind to give the woman privacy, someone like her doesn't deserve that privilege from lord Sesshomaru!" he thought ranting to himself. Kagura complied to the girls wish to help her. Sesshomaru raised his nose to the air…"I smell my prey." He said a smirk passing onto his lips lightly.

He stalked silently after his prey, a deer youkai. The perfect amount of meat to split between the four of them. He leapt into the air after the un-expecting doe. The taste of blood on his lips exciting his inner beast. He immediately ate his share of meat the taste of the raw meat satisfying his hunger. Kagura smiled at the young girl then she lay back down on the ground pulling the "blanket" up to her chin and falling into a gentle sleep.

She awoke to the delicious smell of roasting meat. She sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It was dark again. "How long was I out?" she asked from her spot by the fire. "About one hour." Came the cheerful voice of Rin. "Would you like something to eat?" she asked handing her a piece of meat skewered on a stick.

She ate most of it but left some of it. She still wasn't really that hungry but she needed to stay nourished if she wanted to get well and out of Sesshomaru's hair…his soft silky long silver hair. That whips gently in the wind, and shimmers in the moonlight…

Her head snapped up. "Where did those thoughts come from?" she thought shaking her head. She had been staring straight at Sesshomaru and their eyes had locked.

"Why was she staring at me?" he asked himself taking a bite of his raw venison. He wasn't much for cooked food. "And that strange look on her face?" he thought standing. "Rin, it's time that you let the woman rest." He said sitting back down. Kagura silently thanked him. Rin had been talking her ears off…

She realized she had still been using Sesshomaru's haori as a blanket even thought she didn't need it because of the warm kimono he had given her. She stood walking over to him with a limp. She handed him the folded haori. "Here, I didn't want you to get cold, I didn't bleed on it, and it's clean." She added quickly. He took it from her. "This Sesshomaru doesn't get cold." He replied leaning gently against a tree.

She walked slowly over towards the fire. "How can I be so dizzy from such a short walk?" she thought feeling her insides churn slightly. She felt sick inside. Her head spun. She dropped to her knees. She felt something hot bubbling in her throat. She vomited and clutched her stomach still feeling sick. "Lady Kagura, are you okay?" Came Rin's nervous little girl voice.

"Yes, I'm just feeling a little sick." Kagura said closing her eyes the scenery still spinning wildly. A pair of strong hands grabbed her under the arms and gently took her into his arms bridal style. "Just take the liberty to not vomit on me." Came Sesshomaru's cold voice. She nodded. "Why?" she asked taking a deep breath. "Seeing as you are unable to walk, I figured you would prefer to be moved back to your place by the fire instead of in the dirt." He said gently setting her down. "Thank you." She whispered curling up and lulling gently into a soft sleep…


	2. Jaken is a meanie

Sesshomaru watched as the woman slept, her chest gently falling and rising. Her scent was simply intoxicating. He could smell hints of jasmine and lavender. Her scent was indeed once pure. But had been tainted with fear and hate. "Naraku" he thought watching her kimono ripple gently under the influence of the soft cooling breeze. The silver full moon shone high above their heads gleaming down upon them.

Sesshomaru sighed. Her face…it was beautiful yet hidden under a blanket of black and purple bruises from Naraku's abuse, and cuts from the branches of the trees. Sesshomaru tore away his saddened gaze from her and resumed his post in a tall tree.

The sun began to rise, the moon slowly fading away into its bright depths. Rin blinked and sat up. "Morning Sesshomaru-sama!" she said happily sitting up from her resting place. "Shh." He said putting a finger to his lips. He pointed to Kagura who was still sleeping soundly. "Oh." She whispered tiptoeing around her. She picked up a few more pieces of wood and set them on the still glowing embers.

Kagura's eyelids twitched slightly a sign of her stirring. She covered her eyes from the newly rising sun. She sat up propping herself up on her elbows. Rin smiled brightly at her. "Morning Miss Kagura!" she said happily bouncing up and down. Sesshomaru stood. "It is time for your bandages to be changed." He said reaching for the small bag that Rin had bought in the village.

Kagura nodded. She pulled herself up of the ground so she was sitting up. She gently un-did the clasps closing her kimono, revealing the white tape that was now tinged with red. Sesshomaru walked over to her and sat down behind her. He gently unraveled the gauze leaving her torso bare. Jaken watched intently as Sesshomaru gently swabbed the wounds with the stinging antiseptic. "Do you mind?!" Kagura snapped at the toad pulling the blanket tighter up around her self.

Jaken was about to tell her how he wouldn't even be slightly interested in what a filthy descendant of Naraku had to offer to him, but Sesshomaru abruptly interfered. "Jaken, turn away." He said coolly understanding how she must feel. Jaken "eeped" and nodded, turning his back on the trio. Rin, occasionally handing Sesshomaru a bandage or a cloth.

One hand rested gently on her hip holding her gently in place the other wrapping the bandages. "Wait a minute?" she thought lifting her arms slightly so he could wrap around the bandages. "Since when does he have two arms?" He finished off the gauze cutting it with his fangs, stopping her train of thought, the blade like tooth grazing her skin. Her breath hitched in her throat at the scraping sensation…

He helped her re-adjust her kimono pulling it over her shoulders for her, she had difficulty with that considering when Naraku had thrown her she had landed on her arm and it was probably broken.

Rin smiled. "Are you feeling any better Miss Kagura?" she asked hovering over her watchfully. "Yes, I am feeling a bit better." She lied not wanting to worry the sweet little girl that had found her in the water. Rin smiled. "Good, Rin is glad miss Kagura is feeling better!" she said sitting down beside her. "Miss Kagura?" Rin asked sweetly. "How did Miss Kagura get hurt?" she asked not knowing the sensitivity of the topic. Kagura's breath hitched in her throat again. Sesshomaru stiffened. "Rin, where exactly did you find those berries?" Sesshomaru cut in. "They were quite delicious and this Sesshomaru would like some more." He said standing. "Rin will show you Lord Sesshomaru!" she said entirely forgetting her last question.

They returned a few minutes later with a bowl full of berries. Rin looked happy as can be her mouth stained once again from the juice. "Sesshomaru-sama, Rin is still hungry." She said looking up at him as her stomach growled. Sesshomaru nodded. "Jaken, please watch Rin while I hunt." He said walking steadily towards the forest. Jaken nodded leaning against a tree dozing slightly.

Kagura, though had slept but under an hour before. Again still felt tired. She laid back her head on the grass and gently drifted off into a soft sleep. What seemed like only minutes later she was awoken by a young girls frightened scream. She sprung awake immediately. Rin was in the clutches of Naraku his massive hands wrapped around the small girls neck.

Jaken lay off to the side apparently un-conscious. "Let her go!" Kagura snapped trying to stand clutching her fan. "Ah, Kagura, you have awoken." He said calmly, letting the young girl fall to the ground. He chuckled. "It seems Sesshomaru has taken good care of you." He said standing up to his full height. "I have come to punish you for your mistakes in killing my soldiers and defying me." He said levitating a step closer. She brought her fan up. "A step closer and I will kill you." She warned her hand shaking.

He laughed as he reached out a quick hand to grab her. She tried to leap out of the way but he was to fast. He grabbed her shoulder length hair and yanked backward. Meanwhile Sesshomaru stalked his prey, it completely un-aware of his presence. Naraku smirked pulling her backward and getting a hold of her tender bruised neck. She reached up her hands trying to pry away his clenching grasp.

He smiled yanking he forward to kiss her lips. He slipped in his tongue defiling her, her body, and her temple. But that was a big mistake. She bit him…hard with her fangs. He yelped and dropped her to the ground. "Bitch, you will pay for that!" he yelled. Swallowing the blood seeping from his tongue. He pounced over her pinning her to the ground. She whimpered his glowing red eyes staring into hers. He grabbed her up by the neck once again and held her high above the ground.

He threw back his hand and flung it forward onto her already bruised face. She let out a loud yelp falling backward to the ground trying to kick him but missed. "You leave Lady Kagura alone!" Came a frightened little voice. Naraku chuckled at Rin, she held a dagger in her hands and she looked as though she was crying. She ran at him trying to strike. He simply laughed throwing her aside with one of his ugly tentacles. She let out a cry more of fear than of pain and hit her head against a tree knocking her unconscious.

Sesshomaru's ears pricked, he heard Kagura's yelp and Rin's cry. If only the smell of the doe's blood hadn't masked the scent of Naraku. "Damn!" he thought leaping into the air flying towards camp. He soared overhead speeding towards the sight. He smelled Kagura's blood, Rin's, and Naraku's. Once they came into view he dive-bombed towards Naraku. "Die filthy han-you!" he had screamed his claws spraying their lethal poison. He barely missed, Naraku evading the attack only seconds' before the strike.

Sesshomaru drew tokijin slashing wildly at the laughing han-you. He brutally stabbed Naraku until blood sprayed and soaked his kimono. Though Naraku did not die he was in great pain. His heart was hidden away…protected from Sesshomaru and the others that desired to kill him. Naraku gathered him self and his severed body parts under a barrier and floated towards the sky. "Till next time Kagura, remember your time life is in my hands." He said his laughter ringing in their ears even after he had disappeared.

Sesshomaru walked to Rin, she was un-conscious the dagger still clutched with in her hand. Sesshomaru gave Kagura a quizzical look. "She tried to defend me from him." She said propping herself up on her elbows. His foul taste still burned inside of her mouth. Sesshomaru propped Rin up against a tree beside Jaken. "What exactly did he do to you?" he asked kneeling beside her.

She was still shaking. "He struck me." She said that much obvious from the red handprint still on her face. "He said he would punish me for my defiance…and he kissed me." She said trying to swallow the sour burning sensation inside of her mouth. "Your mouth is burning." He said noticing her swallowing furiously. She nodded. "It is the kiss of evil." He stated. "Unless it is washed away, you would be branded with a permanent mark." He said in a deep masculine whisper.

She stared at his swirling pools of smelted gold that were his eyes. She blinked in surprise as he placed a hand gently on her porcelain cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed as he placed his lips gently upon hers. The sensation tingled gently. Her mouth lolled open, she melted at his touch. He gently inserted his long tongue into her hot cavernous mouth; the bitter taste drifted away, his tongue gently soothing the bitter burn inside of her mouth.

They broke gently apart their mouths still but inches apart, exchanging their hot breath in the chilling autumn air…

They remained like that for what seemed like an eternity. Their eyes locked trying to figure out the puzzle presented before them. "He kissed me…was it to heal?" she pondered her hands resting limp at her sides. "I kissed her…such passion…my beast threatened to break forth and claim her as mine…" he thought his fangs showing slightly. They glinted in a small ray of sunlight.

"Was it truly to heal or was it…desire?" they both asked themselves slowly breaking apart. Rin stirred. "Sesshomaru-sama?" she asked sitting straight up. "Lady Kagura, are you okay?" she asked running over to the pair still kneeling beside each other. "Yes Rin, thanks to Sesshomaru-sama I am alright." She said patting the girl atop the head softly. "Thanks to Sesshomaru-sama." She said in a whisper. "Rin tried to protect Lady Kagura, but I failed." She said her head bowed. "He was to strong for me, he could've really hurt you and I didn't stop him." She said her lip curling. "Rin please don't cry, it was not your fault." She said trying to sooth the saddened girl. "Naraku is very strong and it takes some one stronger than him, like Sesshomaru-sama to beat him." She said smiling up at Sesshomaru.

Jaken stirred rubbing his head. He sat up with a frog like croak; he asked, "What happened?" Sesshomaru stood; his kimono and hakama still coated and reeked of Naraku's blood. Sesshomaru stood. "Naraku attacked, and Rin and both Kagura were injured." He said his anger flashing in his eyes. Jaken wanted to shrink down until he was so small that he could only be seen with a microscope.

"My greatest apologies My Lord." He whispered bowing so low his nose touched the ground. "Please forgive my irresponsible behavior." He said awaiting the boot in the head that was sure to come. Sesshomaru growled, he walked over towards Kagura and Rin who were huddled together. Rin's eyes were still puffy from her tears. "You will be fine Rin, but your neck is bruised." Kagura said placing a hand on the blue marks that resembled a clenched hand around her neck.

"Lady Kagura, your eye is bruised." Rin said peeking out from the blanket Kagura had wrapped her in. "My eye?" she asked reaching up a hand to touch her eyelid. Sesshomaru handed her a mirror, it was silver and had shimmering pearls embedded in the silver. She looked shocked. "The Bastard gave me a black eye." She whispered, running her hand over the swell around her eye.

She ran her fingers over the beautiful mirror. "It was my mothers." Came Sesshomaru's voice from behind her. She jumped. "I didn't know you were behind me." She said turning around to face him. She looked down at her reflection in the mirror. "Is my face really this…ugly?" she asked running her clawed fingers over her purple cheeks and black eye.

Sesshomaru was silent. He was deep in thought analyzing her words. "Is she looking for my approval, or is she looking for sympathy, or is she just simply concerned about her appearance?" he wondered. "Sesshomaru?" came a quiet voice that woke him from his daze. "No" he said watching Rin chase Jaken. "Your very pretty." He said coolly. She hadn't expected that answer in the least. "Huh?" she asked her mouth agape.

"Do I need to explain myself?" he asked quietly a smirk crossing his features seeing Rin tackle Jaken the way he had taught her. "That would be helpful." She said with a hint of sarcasm, her voice coated slightly in self-pity. "Your porcelain skin, and berry red lips." He said watching the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind. "Your raven hair, and your beautiful eyes." He whispered his eyes locked upon hers. "You think I'm...beautiful?" She asked her lips curving into a happy smile. He stared away from her. "Is that a problem?" he asked standing. "No, no I just didn't think you thought of me like that." She whispered. Jaken screeched "HELLLPPP!!!" "Someone HELP ME!!!"He shrieked thrashing like mad. Rin squealed in happy laughter. "Come on master Jaken lets play house!" she said holding him firmly by the ankle. "You can be the baby and I can be the Mommy!" she said walking towards the forest. "It sounds like baby needs a nap." She said with a giggle.

Kagura couldn't help herself, "Stop!" she said almost in tears. "It hurts to laugh but it's to funny!" she said clutching her sides. "Rin, cease torturing Jaken." He said from his tree. "Yes Sesshomaru-sama." She said obediently releasing Jaken's ankle. He stood dusting the dirt from his clothes and re-adjusting his hat. Kagura had managed to stop laughing but was still smiling.

"And what do you find funny?" he asked heatedly. "Well you have to admit that was a humorous scene." She said biting back another laugh. "Well I hardly see what funny. Besides the disgusting face of Naraku's bitch."

"JAKEN!" Sesshomaru bellowed. Kagura's fists clenched and her fangs bared. She picked Jaken up by his haori. "I am not Naraku's bitch and you will believe that and you will never mention Naraku's name associated with me again! Got it?" she asked in a hiss her nose almost touching his beak. Jaken had almost accidentally wet himself. He nodded furiously. She let him drop into the dirt and sat down next to Rin who was currently trying to catch a small black cricket.

Jaken's knees were knocking. Sesshomaru was obviously "disciplining" him. Jaken nodded furiously and ran next to Rin and set down. "Lady Kagura, will you take Rin to spring to bathe? She asked with her giant brown eyes shimmering. "Sure, I'm sure a bath would be nice." She said picking up her newly found walking stick. It could be very helpful. Rin took her hand and gently pulled her toward the springs.

Naraku lay on the woven mat. Kanna and Hokudoshi stitched his fallen limbs back onto his body. "Damn that Kagura…she will pay." He whispered with a jolt from another stab of a needle. "I will make her suffer a slow painful death…"We have finished Master." Kanna said in her whisper like voice. Hokudoshi stood staring down at Naraku.

"What a sight, Kagura would truly enjoy this…she would have had the perfect chance to kill him." He thought cocking his head ever so slightly. "Yes, I bet she would." Came Naraku's annoyed voice. Hokudoshi jumped, "I didn't know you were reading my mind Sire." Hokudoshi said. He propped himself up on his elbows and admired the stitching they had done, neat and complete, he could barely see them they were so small.

Kagura leaned upon her walking stick walking towards the spring. Rin had her hand and was pulling her gently towards the spring. "We'll be t the Spring Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin said happily before disappearing into the forest Sesshomaru stood. "I forgot about the deer I killed for dinner, I'm going to retrieve it Jaken, you stay here." He said standing. He walked towards the opposite direction of where the girls had left and started searching. It was rather difficult though, the winds had changed twice and the scent had been spread over the forest. "Damn." He thought raising his nose to the air again.

Kagura helped Rin out of her kimono, gently un-tying the knots in the obi. "There you are Rin." She said starting to try and un-dress herself. Rin ran and jumped into the water happily splashing and swimming. "The water is perfect Miss Kagura!" she said splashing again. Kagura took a quick look around just in case there was anyone there. Once she found it safe she quickly unclasped and undid her kimono. She climbed quickly into the steaming water. "Ah, you were right Rin, the water is perfect."

Rin splashed and played while Kagura washed her hair and scrubbed herself with the bar of soap Rin had given her. "I feel so much better, Thank You Rin." She said leaning up against a rock. Before she knew it she had drifted off to sleep. "Lady Kagura, wake up." Came Rin's voice. "May I go back to the camp please?" she asked drying her hair with a towel.

"Yes Rin, I'm just going to soak here for awhile." She said sitting up a little. Rin nodded and finished drying her hair. She trotted off towards the camp leaving Kagura alone. "Where is it?" he thought trying to follow his nose. Kagura finished her washing and climbed out of the water. "I hope Rin left me a towel." She thought digging through the bag she had left behind.

"Brr." She thought as a breeze rippled past, She still was digging through the pack for a towel. Sesshomaru caught the scent of the doe through the breeze. "Finally." He thought pushing through some bushes. Kagura stood straight up. "The bushes." She thought her red eyes going wide. Sesshomaru pushed past the bushes and into the clearing. His eyes went wide. Kagura screamed. He jumped back avoiding the large rock that was flying at him. "Pervert!" she screamed jumping back into the water.

"I was not spying on you, I simply was here to retrieve the deer that I killed for dinner." He said pointing to the doe hidden behind a small coat of trees behind her. She still glared at him. "Well get it and go." She said crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't see why you are embarrassed, I saw you naked when I pulled you out of the water." He said picking the deer up and over his shoulder.

"Well how would you like it?" she snapped angrily. "I wouldn't care." He said simply. " Kagura stifled a laugh. "Yeah, you say that." She said smirking in triumph. He rolled his eyes. "And the towel you were looking for is over there." He said pointing to a top the rock. "Oh." She said a blushing lightly.

Once he left and she was sure he was gone she quickly dressed and walked back to camp. Sesshomaru had returned only a few minutes earlier. He stared at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were slightly pinker than normal. "It's only the adrenaline from avoiding the rock." He thought tucking the mirror into his Armour. Most of the doe was roasting over the fire Rin and Jaken had maintained. One portion had been cut away for Sesshomaru to eat; he wasn't one for cooked food. Kagura heard her stomach growling at the delicious smell of roasting venison. When it was finished cooking Sesshomaru took it off of the branch it had been tied to and handed Rin and Kagura pieces of the cooked  
meat.

She ate happily leaning against her own tree. Rin sat next to her clearly enjoying the venison. The sun began too set, casting shadows across the trees and rocks. "Good Night Sesshomaru-sama." Said Rin with a yawn. "Good Night Master Jaken." She said pulling up a blanket. "And Good Night Miss Kagura." She said laying down and closing her eyes. "Good Night Rin." The trio chanted. "Good Night Sesshomaru-sama, Good Night Jaken." Kagura said purposely leaving the respectful title out on Jaken's name.

"Good Night Kagura." "Good night Jaken." Sesshomaru said simply. Tonight he needed sleep, it had been about three days since he last slept. Sesshomaru turned over onto his stomach and pulled the blankets up to his shoulders. Kagura leaned back against "Her" tree and closed her eyes. She lay there for about half an hour and opened her eyes again.

She threw back the blankets and sat up. Kagura smiled and giggled. "He sleeps just like a dog." She thought smiling again. "Is something funny?" he asked sitting up picking a leaf out of his hair. "Oh, no I was just thinking." She said with a sigh. "How much longer will it take me to heal?" she asked resting a hand on her tender arm. She jumped up of the ground. "T-The bones in my arm shifted!" she whispered furiously to him. "You are a demoness, therefore you heal faster than a human would." He said calmly. "Your arm was broken and it shifted back into place." He said sitting up.

"The gashes on your chest and the cuts from the wind scar should heal in about a week." "A week?" she thought. "What about my face?" she asked more to herself than to anyone else. "I don't know."


	3. The Jade Bracelet

Kagura frowned. "What if…the scares don't heal?" she thought running a hand over her face avoiding the stinging cuts. "They will heal." He said quietly, as though he could hear her very thoughts. She smiled faintly. "Well I guess I should try and get some sleep." She said re-adjusting the blanket. "Mmm." He said rolling back onto his stomach.

The sun began to rise, the early morning shadows draping across the valleys and the forest. Sesshomaru was up with the dawn. He stretched and stood. The air was moist from the dew that rested on the grass and leaves of the plants and trees. Kagura was in an "interesting" position. Wrapped up in her blankets, she looked like a cocoon. She was face down in the dirt and didn't seem to care. She seemed to be in a fetal position, but under the thick layer of blankets it was hard to tell.

He smirked to himself and walked towards the fire and threw another log onto the burning embers. He climbed up his tree and watched over their camp. Before they new it it was noon and Kagura was still asleep. Sesshomaru groaned. He walked over to the massive pile of blankets. "Kagura." He asked kneeling down beside it. The blankets didn't move.

"Kagura." He said a bit louder. He shook what appeared to be her leg. Her "leg" shot up and smacked away his hand, which was acutely her arm. He groaned again and ripped back the blankets. When he had talked to her last night her head had been up by the tree stump and now her feet were pressed gently against the rough bark.

"Hey!" she yelled sitting straight up. "Get up." He said standing. "Your bandages need to be changed." He said. She groaned but sat up. "What time is it?" she asked sitting up and un-doing her kimono. "Noon." The bandages didn't look as bad as they did the day before, but they were still tinted red from the fresh and dried blood.

She took a quick glance around. Jaken and Rin were nowhere to be seen. Sesshomaru sat down behind her and began to unravel the old bandages as they did every morning. He tossed aside the old bandages and brought out fresh clean ones from the bag.

His touch was gentle yet firm. He cleaned the wounds with an antiseptic herb. "Ouch." She whispered with a sudden intake of breath from the crisp awakening sting. "Shhh." He whispered. Setting down the cloth he had used. He began to wrap the bandages starting at the base of her hip and working his way up.

She sat in silence her eyes closed. She simply concentrated on her breath. Sesshomaru was silent as well. Concentrating on the bandages he was wrapping around her torso. Her head snapped up as an un-realizing hand grazed her breast. Her breath hitched hard in her throat...

Sesshomaru was shocked, his hand flying back to his side. "I'm sorry." He said beginning to re-ravel the bandages. Something had awakened inside of her…"it's fine." She said her breathing returning to normal. Her mind raced. "Why does my heart race and flutter at his touch?" she wondered. "There." He stated standing.

"Your finished." He said walking back towards "his" tree. She pulled her kimono back over her shoulders and stood. Jaken returned to the camp only minutes after they had finished. He seemed bored. But judging by the towel he was carrying he had simply gone to the spring. Rin returned a few minutes after Jaken carrying a basket full of wild vegetables.

Sesshomaru argued with himself inside of his mind. "Why do I rouse at an accidental gesture?" he pondered. "Why is her beauty drawing me towards her?" he thought. "I am simply following my natural instincts." He thought. "I am acting as any inuyoukai male would." He tried to convince himself.

Kagura was nervous, no one had taught her why a knot clenched in her stomach at his touch. Well she knew the basics, the birds and the bees, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much…blah blah blah speech. She was indeed a maiden, she had never known love, and Naraku had kept her locked away in the dark for so long, she had almost never had a chance…

The day seemed long. It seemed that the air had thickened and the silence was no better. But Rin would not let the silence win. She was talking Sesshomaru to death. "Sesshomaru-sama, are you listening to me?" she asked. "Yes Rin, I am listening." He said in a groggy tone. "Good because I have lots to tell you!" she said happily smiling.

Sesshomaru cringed. "Rin, Miss Kagura looks bored, maybe you should talk to her for awhile." He suggested smirking at her. Kagura forced a smile. "Oh I'd just love to chat Rin." She said standing. But I was going to go into town for a little while." She said.

"Oh, okay." Rin said sitting back down next to Sesshomaru. "Bye." She said waving with a newly placed smirk passing her lips. She walked slowly off towards the distant village. She hadn't made it up; she really did want to go into town. Sesshomaru landed next to her only seconds later. "What?" she asked. "It is a long walk to the village, you are injured and are vulnerable, and it would be dishonorable of me to let you wander about un-familiar land alone." He said coolly. "How noble of you." She said sarcastically.

"I doubt you want to follow me around all day, I was going window shopping." She said still leaning on her walking stick. "As I said, you are vulnerable at the moment." He said keeping his eyes pinned straight ahead on the village coming up ahead.

"Okay, but don't complain about being bored." She said leaning on her walking stick as they walked. The village was large and bustling. But things seemed to freeze at the sight of the two demons walking through town. First they went to the bakery, the scent of freshly baked rice cakes and jelly roles filled their noses. Kagura looked around at the delicious foods happily. Though she was fed and never went hungry like she did with Naraku, venison was getting a little old.

When she was certain no one was looking she reached down and brought up a small pouch she had tied to her calf. It had a few coins in it. She gasped realizing Sesshomaru had seen her. "What are you hiding?" he asked. Kagura bit her lip. "I have been hiding some money." She said looking to the ground. He gave her a quizzical look. "I do not see what is so wrong." he said forcing he to look at him by lifting her chin.

"When I was with Naraku he wouldn't allow me to have money of my own, he wanted me to depend entirely on him." She said trying to look away, but he wouldn't let her. "I'm not Naraku." He said his own eyes burning into hers. "I know…you would never hurt me." She said blinking her red eyes moistening slightly. He let her go and she purchased a small pastry. "Would you like one?" Kagura had asked Sesshomaru. He looked at her strangely, why do you eat human food?" he asked.

"I don't know." She said taking a small bite of pastry. "I just do." She said dabbing her mouth with a napkin the woman at the counter had handed her. They were silent for most of the rest of the trip. She went to a jewelry cart and saw a beautiful jade bracelet for 20 yen. She bit her lip and went on to the next stand. Sesshomaru walked towards the cart. They started the walk back towards camp Kagura leaning on her stick more than before.

Kagura admired the beautiful color of the trees, the reds and oranges of the dead and dying leaves. Fall was there. She was certainly glad that Sesshomaru had gotten her a warm kimono. She smiled happily as the small camp came into view. Rin ran at them offering a hug to Kagura. "Miss Kagura, Lord Sesshomaru, I have missed you." She said happily smiling up at them.

Rin went fishing that night and returned with four delicious looking trout. "Look what I caught Lord Sesshomaru!" she said happily showing him the fish. He nodded in approval and patted her on the head. Kagura helped Rin cook them leaving two un-cooked one for Jaken and one for Lord Sesshomaru.

That night when she laid down for bed she felt something cold on her pillow. She sat up and turned around. There sat the beaded jade bracelet…Shining in the light of the fire. She looked from it to Sesshomaru then back again. She smiled and slipped it onto her wrist. She fell into a gentle dreamless sleep. Un-knowing that Sesshomaru was watching her as her chest rose and fell…


	4. Good and Bad Dreams

Warning: Lemon, Cursing, and sexual references

Kagura got out of the water and dried herself with a towel. She wrapped one up around her head and another around her body. She heard someone rustling in the bushes behind her. "Sesshomaru?" she asked turning around. The rustling stopped. "Oh ha ha your to late Sesshomaru I'm already dressed." She said sarcastically. She parted the bushes but no one was there. "Must've been the wind." She said turning around to get her bar of soap.

She turned around and gasped coming face to face with Naraku He grabbed her wrists preventing her from escaping. "I never knew you and Sesshomaru were so…intimate." He said smirking. "Shut up!" she yelled. She screamed jerking trying to free herself from her grasp. "He cannot here you scream Kagura." He said smiling wickedly. Her eyes went wide. She kneed him in…you can probably guess where…and ran.

"You little Bitch!" he yelled flying after her. But he was slower in pace than he could have been. He wanted her to see him…see what he had done to him. She ran into the clearing. Her mouth went dry, her eyes watered, and her knees gave out beneath her weight. "Sesshomaru." She whispered. He lay dead…in a pool of his own blood, his lifeless open eyes staring up at her. She turned around slowly reaching for her fan…

A hand pulled her out of a dream. But she did not realize she wasn't dreaming. She drew her fan and slashed at the person holding her arm. "KAGURA IT'S ME!" Sesshomaru yelled grabbing her other hand as it flew at him with her bladed fan in hand. She gasped and started to cry in his arms. "What happened in her nightmares?" he wondered. "When she had awoken she looked terrified." He thought tensing as the woman sobbed on him.

Jaken had fetched her some water to drink and Rin had brought her a handkerchief. She hiccupped slightly drinking the water. "Do you wish to tell us what you dreamt of?" Rin asked offering her handkerchief. Kagura shook her head dabbing her eyes gently.

Jaken had gone with Rin to hunt or do whatever. Rin had gone to pick flowers but Jaken had not known that. Sesshomaru jumped down from his tree. "What did you dream of?" he asked sitting cross-legged beside her. She looked at the ground. "Naraku came after me while I bathed." She said biting her lip. "But he had gotten to you first…and you were…" her voice trailed off. "I see." He said staring ahead then back at her.

She looked down upon her wrist the beads shining slightly in the morning sun. "Do not cry anymore." He said staring into her puffy red eyes. "It is not becoming." He said offering her a handkerchief. She closed her eyes and nodded. Her crying had ceased. To anyone else the silence would have been awkward, but she liked it. It was somehow a mutual understanding.

Kagura leaned against his side and rested her head on his shoulder. He did not move or tell her to get away. He enjoyed the feeling of her trust in him. She sighed and relaxed realizing that he was not going to push her away. They laid like that for what seemed like an eternity. It was blissful, their trust in each other immense.

"Our Mighty Lord Sesshomaru has sent me with you so you could pick flowers?" he screeched unhappily. "I picked this one for you Master Jaken." She said smiling and handing a white and yellow daisy. He was silent. "T-thank you Rin." He said smiling happily. She continued to pick flowers Jaken was silent picking his own bunch. (AWWW!)

Kagura rested gently against his un-armored shoulder She gazed gently at the bracelet around her wrist. She smiled softly. "Thank you." She said outlining the beads gently with her finger. "You are welcome." He said looking down at her. The corner of his thin lips twitched gently. Heir gazes met slowly her red eyes focusing on his shimmering golden amber ones.

Their lips inched closer together…the desire breaking forth. Their lips met gently. Her eyes fluttered closed as he gently nibbled her bottom lip…"Sesshomaru…" she moaned into his lips Her arms wrapped up around his neck. He felt very nervous all of a sudden. He wasn't afraid of her…but simply the fact that he was doing what he had sworn never to do…he was falling in love…

He quickly broke apart. "What's wrong?" She asked putting her hands back in her lap. "Nothing I thought I smelled someone approaching." He lied, leaping back to his tree. Kagura sighed. She leaned upon her own tree resting. The trip into town had been tiresome and she had gotten a pour night of sleep the night before considering her nightmares.

Rin and Jaken returned about a half hour later. "Lord Sesshomaru we have returned!" she said happily looking up at him from the ground. "I brought you something." she said happily presenting the multi-colored bundle of flowers. He nodded. "Thank you Rin." He said in a almost a bored tone. "Jaken…what is behind your ear?" he asked his eyebrows furrowing. Jaken felt behind his ear realizing the white daisy that Rin had picked for him was still there. He smiled looking guilty and embarrassed quickly plucking it from behind his ear.

When he was certain that no one was watching him he stored the flower in the pocket inside his hakama. He liked that Rin admired him. No one had really ever loved him or paid attention to him. Sure he had been a leader but they listened to his words not him. And Sesshomaru was no better. But Rin always listened to what he said. Though he called her a filthy human he had grown fond of her companionship.

"Why did he push me away?" she wondered. "No one was approaching." She thought. "Why is he hiding himself from the world?" she wondered pretending to be a sleep. "Why did I draw away?" Sesshomaru wondered. "Whenever I'm close to her I feel the need to run and escape from her embrace. "Why?" the both asked themselves. She lulled off to sleep her dreams much better than the night before.

Kagura sat by her tree, Sesshomaru sitting in his own. They were alone..Sesshomaru leapt from his tree and to her side pulling her up from the ground and firmly to him. "Kagura." He purred seductively. "I need you…know." He said his eyes turning a pinkish shade of red. She moaned at his erection pushing into her stomach. He captured her lips in his own sucking furiously at her berry red lips.

Sesshomaru brought his nose to the air. "I smell arousal?" he thought sniffing again. His eyes widened slightly. The scent was coming in heady surges from Kagura. " I see she's dreaming again." He thought smirking ever so slightly. "And I wonder who she's dreaming of?" he thought feeling himself harden at the thought of their rutting.

He quickly shook his head ridding his mind at the delightful images in his mind. "No! Bad Sesshomaru!" he thought his eyes fixing on the clouds blowing and blustering above.

She lay beneath him as he licked and bit at her bare flesh. She moaned loudly into the night as they lay alone in the dark starless clearing. He licked tenderl at the joining of her neck and collar bone. He plunged his fangs into the flesh marking her as his own. She let out a cry..but he nursed the wound tenderly licking the blood from it.

He traveled down her body leaving hot passionate kisses behind. Down her shoulders, her stomach, and breasts. He came to the dark mass of curls near her nether lips and parted them gently plunging his long rough tongue into her depths. "Sesshomaru!" she screamed out pulling at his hair.

"Sesshomaru." She moaned in her sleep. His eyes went wide. Jaken looked frightened. "Another nightmare sire?" he asked his un-knowingness surprising. The clearing was hazed with her heady scent. Sesshomaru stared at him fighting back the urge to tell him what was really going on. "I'm certain." Sesshomaru lied looking back up disinterestedly at the sky.

She le out a firm yelp as he plunged forward spearing her maiden veil. Though she cried t tears she remained silent. He leaned forward lapping the salty tears from her face. She smiled up at him from her position beneath him. He waited a bit letting him get used to the feeling of him inside of her and plunged forward pounding in and out of her at furious demonic speed.

A bolt of thunder clapped awakening from her dream. She sat straight up. She blushed deep red realizing her scent filled the clearing. "He has to know." She thought wanting to shrink down to invisible size. But he seemed bored…even un-interested. She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Gods!" she thought.

He smirked at her. "You have awoken from your dreams at last." He said jumping out of his tree. She turned beet red. She was mortified! "Bastard." She muttered under her breath standing. "We have to move on, it will pour down rain soon." He said walking towards the woods Rin at his side.

She looked up the black and heavy gray clouds surrounding them. She felt a cold raindrop hit her sending chills down her spine. She hurried ahead following closely behind. She felt another raindrop hit her. "Burr." She thought rubbing her hands together. "We have to find shelter." She thought huddling closer into the group. Ah-Uhn even seemed cold under his thick layer of scales and fire.


	5. Left Behind

They trudged along the rain beginning to fall. Cold drops pierced through Kagura's kimono sending cold shivers down her spine. "Why would she dream of me?" Sesshomaru wondered. It was rather shocking to him that she had dreamed of yet alone moaning his name. Soon it began to pour down rain. Jaken was rather lucky he was so short, he was small enough to walk underneath Ah-Uhn without him even noticing.

Kagura began to sneeze and cough. The rain was coming down in sheets and her clothing was soaked all the way through. Rin wore a hat upon her head and actually seemed to be enjoying the rain. Sesshomaru walked ahead of them all. The rain didn't even seem to bother him…

She shivered and shook. Much more of this and she would probably catch pneumonia. The rain pounded in her ears powering out all sounds. Rin had moved closer to Sesshomaru. She was using his sleeve as an umbrella. She was so cold…The mud was pulling her down…

Sesshomaru watched as Rin wrung out her hair. Jaken had started a fire in the middle of the cave Sesshomaru had found. Sesshomaru sat up from his spot near the fire realizing Kagura was not there with them. He jumped to his feet almost hitting his head against the low ceilings of the cave. He trudged back out into the storm being pounded with fierce rain. He walked quite awhile until he found it…the jade bracelet. It's shiny beads reflecting some light from the muddy floor of the forest…

Now he was running. He knew something was wrong if she had left this behind. It was one of her few possessions and he knew that she treasured it. He raced off into the night looking for her. He could smell nothing but mud and rain. Kagura lay in the mud. Her body was tense and withdrawn form the bone chilling cold. The mud had sucked her up and now she lay on her side, the rain drops pounding onto her drenched shaking form…. she couldn't move…

Sesshomaru rushed around the forest looking for some sort of clue. The rain was so thick he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. "Kagura where are you?" he thought searching and searching. "Jaken–sama when are Miss Kagura and Sesshomaru-sama coming back?" Rin asked lying down by the fire. "I don't know Rin." Jaken said in an annoyed tone.

The hours passed and Sesshomaru still hadn't found her. The rain had let up. The air was still very saturated and the ground sucked at his feet as he stepped putting one foot in front of the other. "Dammit Kagura, were are you?" he thought raising his nose to the air once again to search for her scent.

He heard something in the distance…something that sounded like a groan. He stood completely still hoping to hear the sound again. He heard a slosh in the distance and another groan. Something in his mind clicked and he realized whom the sound was coming from…"Kagura!"

Sesshomaru rushed to her. She lay in the mud half of her face hidden in it. She lay sprawled across the forest floor. She didn't appear conscious, but she was shaking all over as though an earthquake had wracked her body. He scooped her up in his arms. Her skin was cold to the touch. Her lips were blue and her skin was a pale white. "Hypothermia." Sesshomaru thought racing back to the cave.

Once he returned he set her down on the dirt floor. He quickly stripped her of her clothing that were sopping wet and wrapped her in many blankets. He pulled her onto his lap. She was in the severe stages and her body needed to get warm and fast. And sharing body heat would help. He opened his shirt revealing his flawless chest and pulled her uncovered back to him. He shivered. Her skin felt like ice…

Rin and Jaken laid by the fire "snuggling" each other. She woke up late into the night. The fire was now only a pile of red embers. She tried to stretch but something or someone was constricting her. She gasped realizing that she was sitting in Sesshomaru's lap. His arms were wrapped around her waist loosely holding her in place. Her eyes went wide and her heart began to race realizing that she was naked, only blankets covering her.

Jaken was awake also. He tossed several more logs onto the fire. And climbed back onto the blanket that Rin was intent on stealing. "Where are we?" Kagura whispered to him. He jumped not realizing she was awake. "And why am I naked?" she hissed. Jaken shrugged. "Lord Sesshomaru said something about hypothermia and that you needed to be warmed." He said before rolling onto his side and ignoring her.

"Hypothermia?" she wondered the events of the night slowly coming back to her. She remembered walking along and then collapsing. She remembered trying to cry out for help over the rain…"He came back for me." She thought several tears rolling down her cheeks. "He saved my life." She thought snuggling into the blankets and leaning back onto his chest. "He cared enough to save Me." she thought looking up at his sleeping face.

Sesshomaru awoke the next morning to Kagura shifting in her sleep. Her face was buried in his chest her hot breath erecting goose bumps on his skin. Her color looked better. She was still wrapped in the blankets only her mid back and shoulders showing. Her covered breasts were pushed gently onto his skin. Though the act was innocent and only subconscious, it greatly aroused him…

He shook her gently. "Kagura, wake up." He said nudging her awake. "Huh?" she asked gently rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was still a little shaky. "You need to get off me so I can get up." He said giving her another nudge. She groaned and climbed off of his lap and onto the floor. She didn't want to get up yet…she felt like shit.

Sesshomaru stood and pulled his shirt back on. He hung up her clothes to dry. He had simply thrown them in a pile the night before. He was scared that he was going to loose her…and nothing else was on his mind but saving her…She awoke two or three hours later. She sat up and pulled the blankets up to her chin. "Where are my clothes?" she asked Sesshomaru who was sitting across form her. "They're hanging up on that tree branch to dry." He said pointing to a low branch only a few feet away from the mouth of the cave. "Will you get them for me?" she asked shifting uncomfortably in her blankets.

He handed her the now dry kimono. How am I supposed to change?" she wondered. "I can't go outside and can't stand up to my full height in here." She thought. "Jaken turn around." He said sternly to the toad. Sesshomaru turned as well, though it was pointless because he had seen everything that she had owned on multiple occasions. She nearly fell over trying to pull on her kimonos in the cave. It wasn't that it was small, but simply to short for her liking. She pulled on her kimono and tied the obi and bow. "I'm dressed now." She said sitting back down.


	6. Mirror mirror on the wall

"Good." Sesshomaru said turning to face her. "Would you like to come with me, I was going to survey the terra and try to find a dry place to camp?" He asked. Kagura climbed up off her knees. "Sure, I would love to." She said taking his hand. "Do you want to take Ah-Uhn or my feather?" she asked plucking the white feather from her hair. "Your feather, Ah-Uhn need some rest." He said motioning to the rather tired looking dragon. "Lets go." She said throwing down the feather.

They soared into the sky and took in the smell of fresh rain. She sighed and smiled the wind whipping her hair loose of its bindings. The long raven locks whipped in the air. Sesshomaru smirked. The smell of her hair was clean and fresh. She must have washed it earlier that morning while he and the others where still asleep. He could barely resist the urge to entangle his clawed fingers through the woven silk.

"Look, down there." Sesshomaru said pointing down to a small clearing surrounded with brightly blooming flowers. "It seems to be that the rain stopped here." He said. "Okay, she said pulling the winds slowly lowering the feather to the ground. "Here we are." She said landing softly in the grass. They both stood and walked around the clearing. Kagura reached down to pick a small red flower. She placed it behind her pointed ear and smiled. She walked towards Sesshomaru. "Whoa!" she said tripping over a root. He was there in an instant, catching her in his arms. Their eyes locked and Kagura's heart began to race. Her eyes fluttered closed and there lips pressed together. He gently lowered her to the ground propping himself up on his elbows. He bit into her lip drawing blood. She gasped opening her mouth. He slipped his tongue into her mouth. Goosebumps ran over her skin like a wave of hot water washing over her.

He sucked at her neck leaving love bites in his wake. "Oh…" she sighed. Her stomach had butterflies flapping their wings inside of her. She was nervous… but he was there to protect her. "I will kiss every inch of you..." he whispered dragging his fangs on the shell of her ear. She took in a quick breath as he kissed her collarbone licking at it every so tenderly. He pulled at her kimono exposing her ample chest. He ran his padded thumb the little bud and it turned to a hardened bead in his hand. Her breathing intensified. "Don't stop." She whispered her head lolling back. She pressed her breast into his hand whining for more. He teased the sensitive tip of her breast with his sandpaper rough tongue. "Yes.' she whispered breathily, her nether regions were hot and wet with her arousal and desire. He lowered his mouth over her bosom and sucked gently. "Oh god yes…" she said squirming beneath the weight of him. "I can smell your innocence." He whispered to her. Her cheeks where flushed with her arousal and her pupils dilated with desire.

She fumbled clumsily looking for a tie or clasp holding his armor to him. It was just above his right elbow. The clasp released and he pulled it off and tossed the armor to the side. He ran his tongue over her breast enjoying her wonderfully sweet taste. She slid her hand into the fold of his kimono barely being able to tell the difference between his silk garb and his sensually smooth skin. The kimono slid off of his shoulders and onto the lush green grass. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held her face to his chest in hailing his thick masculine scent. She bared her long, smooth fangs and dragged them over his skin erecting goose bumps and a moan from him. He untied the rest of her kimono exposing the rest of her beautifully shaped body. She had no belly button, and then he remembered Naraku, she wasn't born from a womb, but only of the skin from her master. He drank in her beauty; her black feminine curls hiding her woman hood then her delicious long firm legs. She slipped her fingers into the band of his pants and began to slide them down his muscular thighs. She took a deep breath and her eyes widened  
ever so slightly. There was so much of him…and so little of her. "Oh god." She muttered aloud. Sesshomaru had to try very hard not to smirk at her. She continued to pull down his pants down to his ankles. She took him into her hands. Grasping his large length.. "You don't have to.." he said through clenched teeth, his eyes shut so tightly. He didn't want to scare her, his eyes were probably ruby red by now. "I want to." She said lowering her mouth to him.

He braced his hands onto her shoulders as she ran her tongue around him. He growled deeply entangling his clawed fingers in her hair. He gasped and thrust deeper into her wet cavern. She gagged softly but continued to lick and suck at him. He grunted and almost lost his balance still holding on to her to stay up. She coughed as his seed filled her mouth. It tasted bitter and she didn't like it. It surprised her and almost made her jump, when he slid a finger into her, her flower blooming for the first time. She lay down on the soft grass her legs spread wide as he slid his long slender finger into her virgin depths. "Oh yes." She called her hips bucking softly against her will.

Then he touched his thumb to her little clit. She gasped and mewled softly. Her head lolling back. Then he began to rub and massage her little bud. She screamed out his name. "Oh Sesshomaru!" she cried her muscles beginning to tighten around his finger. He lowered his mouth to her little bud and ran his tongue over her. "Oh God Yes!" she called thrusting her hips into him. "More." She moaned out taking hold of his long silver hair pushing him deeper into the junction of her legs. His tongue continued to dance over her. "Oh Sesshomaru!" she cried her first ever orgasm racking her now limp form. She gasped her breathing ragged and rapid. Sesshomaru lapped at her flowing juices, they tasted of a rare wine savored sparingly to preserve its magnificent taste.

As she regained her strength she smiled up at him. He slowly removed his finger from her. "No. don't" she begged him. "Shhh." He said. He loved her body, she had bruises and scars. "Naraku." He thought angrily. Her cuts were partially healed and would soon fade. He slid his length into her. Her eyes shut tight. He was stretching her and tearing her. Then he reached her veil of innocence. "Are you sure?" he whispered into her ear. She nodded her eyes squeezed shut, bracing him preparing for the inevitable pain of lovemaking. He eased out and then speared into her delicate hymen. He silenced her cry of pain by taking her lips barely silencing his own as she dug her claws into her flawless back. He could feel warm trickles of blood running down his back, and he could smell it to. The delicious smell of copper, he loved it. Tears slid down her still slightly bruised face. They sat there for a few moments as she adjusted to him. He slowly pulled in and out of her. She moaned softly at the sensations he was creating inside of her. He slowly began going faster and deeper. "More.." she moaned. "I need more."

He started going faster and harder. "Oh Sesshomaru." she cried thrusting in rhythm with him. He grunted and moaned at her tightness. She was defiantly a virgin. It just felt so good, her muscles clamping around him. "Faster!" she cried getting onto her knees, rutting like the animals they were. "Oh god yes!" she screamed in her ecstasy. "Oh Sesshomaru!" she cried out. He grasped her hips trying to stay upward. The pleasure was so immense he might just drown in it. "Kagura!" he cried spilling his seed into her willing womb. She came as well crying out his name. They toppled down onto each other exhausted, breathing hard, and satisfied. They would stay like this for quite awhile. Kagura only whispered four little words. "I love you, Sesshomaru."

"Kanna, show me your ungrateful sister." Naraku ordered. White smoke swirled in the young albino's mirror. And soon a clear picture appeared. Naraku's already red eye's intensified. "The little bitch." He thought. He saw her laying, in a clearing, Sesshomaru laying atop her still nude form. "He has mated her." He said standing and putting his hands behind his back. "This makes things very interesting." He began to pace. "Would you like me to find her master?" Kanna asked in her quiet little voice. "Yes Kanna, I would."


	7. The Final Rescue

Warning for continued lemon, sexual references, explicit content, language, and violence. One more thing, Inuyasha does not belong to me…: (

Oh and another warning for Ooc' ness

He slid his hand over her breast taking her nipple between his fingers. She gasped aloud. He said he wanted to help her dress, but his help was making her want to undress more and more. "Are we going back to the cave or not Sesshomaru?" she asked clutching the sleeves of her kimono. "I would prefer if we didn't, but I'm sure Jaken is having a fit already." Sesshomaru said pulling on his hakama. "Well…if you say so." Kagura sighed tying her obi around her waist. They finished dressing slowly "helping" each other dress with an occasional caress or a flick of a tongue.

They flew back on her feather quickly to make up for the loss of time and landed at the mouth of the cave. Jaken tapped his foot impatiently and then jumped up high in the air. "Welcome back milord, have you found a plot of l…" he stopped in mid sentence. Even with his meager sense of smell he could easily recognize this scent. They were covered in the scent of sex. "Land." He said his temple twitching and tears threatening to spill over. "Lord Sesshomaru has mated that…that incarnation of Naraku! This cannot be, he has ruined his pure bloodline…well besides Inuyasha." He thought. "Oh and what if she becomes pregnant!?" he thought his buggy eyes going wider, if so much was even possible.

Lord Sesshomaru interrupted his train of thought. "We shall all move to the clearing we found immediately." He said. Rin smiled happily. "Gladly, my lord." She said happily. Rin and Jaken climbed upon the back of Ah-Uhn and they took of to they're camp.

They landed among the clearing and Jaken almost burst into tears once more. There was a deep body shaped indent in the middle of the clearing grass. "Jaken-sama what is the matter?" Rin asked. "Nothing…nothing at all." He choked out. "Rin, Jaken, gather wood for a fire." He said coolly. "Aye, me Lord." Jaken said regaining his composure. Kagura went to the edge of the clearing were there were trees and began to pick mushrooms from the bark.

Soon there was a crackling of a fire, mushrooms, and fish cooking over it. Rin warmed her hands, licking her lips waiting for the food to cook. "is it ready master Jaken?" she asked. "Not quite." He said crossing his little arms. He was impatient and hungry too. Rin sighed impatiently. Kagura sniffed the air, it smelled delicious. Jaken pulled the skewers out of the ground and handed one to everyone besides Sesshomaru, he didn't like cooked food.

The night was un-eventful.. They ate there dinner in peace, Sesshomaru perched in his tree, and Kagura watered Ah-Uhn. One head munched on leaves while the other drank in big gulps from the stream. Darkness soon fell over they're camp and everyone set in for bed. Sesshomaru watched over the camp his hand resting on the hilt of tokijin. Rin was snuggled into a blanket next to Jaken who was snoring softly. Kagura dozed near the fire, which had become a lightly flickering pile of embers. Sesshomaru smirked as an idea popped into his head. He licked his lips a predatory look glazing his eyes.

He leapt silently from his branch to the ground were Kagura was lying. Her eyes flicked open and she smiled softly, her fangs peeking from behind her lips. He brought a finger to his lips and turning his head to Rin and Jaken. She nodded beginning to untie the belt that held her kimono shut. He reached out and took her hand. "Let me." He whispered one of his fangs scraping the shell of her ear.

He bared his fangs, working intricately on the elaborate knots with his teeth. He ran a finger between the folds of her kimono parting them. She shivered softly at the sudden breeze. He lowered his mouth to her neck kissing and nipping. She moaned softly, her head lolling back. Sesshomaru worked his way down kissing her everywhere. He gently slid a finger into her, eliciting a stifled moan. "You must be silent or you will wake them." He whispered to her.

Jaken's lower lip trembled. "He's pleasuring her, only feet away from Rin and I!" He thought to himself. "She's nude!" he thought angrily to himself. "I will never be able to look Lord Sesshomaru in the eyes again!" He turned over so his back was facing them trying to erase the images of the two of them.

He pumped in and out of her rapidly massaging her little clit. Her eyes were shut tight, and she reached out taking fistfuls of his silken haori. "Take me." She gasped. "Please, take me." she writhed against him. He removed his finger from her and slid his pants down his legs. He parted her knees and slid into her. She sighed softly, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her teeth were clenched together to silence her cries of passion. They rocked their hips back and forth in a rhythmic motion. He grunted as her muscles clamped around him as she released.

They couldn't help but to breathe deeply. She sat up closing her kimono and kissed him delicately on the cheek. She smiled deviantly. "Shhh…be still." She warned as he pulled on his kimono. He froze lifting his nose to the air searching for what she sensed. While his collarbone was bared, she sunk her fangs into the pale flesh. He hissed, eyes going ruby red "Drink it." He growled, bracing her shoulders as the pleasure of pain enticed him. Blood dribbled down his chest. She ran her tongue down after them, chasing each drop. He was completely gone; his demon blood had taken over him, yearning for the feral need of passion and sex.

He grasped her shoulders hard, and lifted her. He sank his teeth into her milky flesh. Kagura gasped; their wounds matched, bloody and swollen. He cared not that he was acting nothing of himself. He sucked at the puncture marks, leaving behind a dark bruise. She slid down on the blankets, tired and satisfied. Sesshomaru sunk down next to her not caring of his comrades but feet away. She was his now and the mating ceremony was done, their vows un-breakable.

The next morning Kagura rose early to bathe in a stream about a quarter mile away. She dunked her head under water and sprang to the surface. The water was chilled, but the thought of the night before brought a heat to her skin that balanced the two. Her face blushed a rosy pink. She rose from the water and climbed to the bank, wringing the water from her hair. She wrapped a towel around herself running her fingers through her hair. She began to dress humming to herself.

Sesshomaru rose and leapt to his tree, pretending as if he had been there the whole time. Rin sat up stretching with a yawn. "Good morning everyone." She said happily. Jaken sat up hazily; he didn't get much sleep last night. Jaken looked up to see his master perched peacefully in the tree overhead. "Lord Sesshomaru, may I go to the spring with Ah-Uhn to bathe?" she asked sweetly. "Yes Rin, you may go." He said opening his eyes and looking to the sky. Rin ran to Ah-Uhn and pulled on the reins. "Come on Ah-Uhn, lets go!" she skipped merrily beside the large dragon. Jaken snoozed by the fire as Kagura re-built the pile of ash and partially burned wood. Sesshomaru jumped down from his tree. "A hoard of demons are approaching." He declared his hand poised on the handle of his faithful sword, Tokijin.

Hundreds of demons soared overhead; Jaken stood holding the staff of heads. Kagura at ready her fan partially open. A large grey demon with leathery black wings lunged from the sky at Sesshomaru. With hardly any effort Sesshomaru sliced through the demon. But to his surprise a black smoke poured from the demons remains. It burned his nose and throat. He covered his nose and mouth. "D-Dance of The drag…" Kagura yelled before she fell back her knees giving way to her weight. Sesshomaru dropped to his knees coughing; one breath was all it had taken to paralyze him. He fell forward, face down in the dirt…

"Milord!" Jaken squealed. He was un affected by the smoke. A demon eagle flew down from the sky, its golden talons at ready. It swooped taking Kagura with him. "What do I do?" Jaken asked running in circles. "Oh no, what am I to do?" In his panicked state he ran right into a tree. "Rin, I need to get Rin!" he thought. "Rin!" he squealed as loud as he could running as fast as his little legs would take him.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kiarara all trudged along when they heard rustling from the bushes nearby. Jaken rolled out of them looking rather ruffled and disgruntled. "Please, you are my only hope!" he sobbed. "Milord has been attacked, maybe even dead!" he groveled at Inuyasha's feet. "You mean Sesshomaru, my brother Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked skeptically. "Yes, yes please come, help me!" the poor imp was bawling. "I won't believe it until I see it." Inuyasha said looking down at the imp. "Where is that cold hearted bastard brother of mine?" he asked cynical. "The Lord is not far from here." Jaken said pleadingly. "Oh please do hurry!"

Jaken explained what had happened on the way to their clearing. Sesshomaru lay still in the clearing. Inuyasha approached and kneeled down, turning his brother so he was lying on his back. "You dragged me here for this, he's unconscious is all." He said in an aggravated tone. "Are you sure, he looks dead to me." Shippo said kicking him with his small paw. Sesshomaru's eyes twitched and he groaned. Shippo yelped and climbed up the side of Inuyasha's pants to the top of his head. "Don't let him get me!" he cried cowering. Sesshomaru awakened a crowd of people around him. "Inuyasha!" he thought. He sat up quickly climbing to his feet. "Lord Sesshomaru thank goodness your alright!" Jaken squealed. Rin smiled happily. "We were very worried my Lord." She said. "Jaken, why did you contact Inuyasha?" he asked looking down at the imp. Jaken knew that look…that was a look that made shivers run down his spine. "Well to be honest, I thought you were dead." He said twiddling his thumbs looking down at the ground.

"Not a mere demon such as that could kill this Lord Sesshomaru." He declared. "We must go as soon as possible." Sesshomaru said motioning for Rin and Jaken to mount Ah-Uhn. "Were are you going in such a hurry?" Inuyasha asked his arms crossed. Sesshomaru took to the sky. "To rescue my mate." And with that he took off, Ah-Uhn trailing behind.

Inuyasha looked dumbfounded at Kagome. "But…to mate don't you have to have sex?" Kagome whispered into his ear. Inuyasha just stared at her. "I always just assumed that he was such a prick that he would never find someone "worthy" of him." Inuyasha mocked, "I wonder who the lucky girl is." Kagome asked sarcastically. "What's mating" Shippo asked from his perch on his shoulder. "Why let me explain." Said the monk. "NO!" they all yelled at him. "Shippo is still innocent, which is hard enough to believe with you around!" Kagome yelled. Miroku looked solemn. "I have no idea what you mean." He said crossing his arms. "This place smells of Naraku, if we follow Sesshomaru we should find Naraku!" Inuyasha concluded. But he didn't know what he was really smelling was Kagura…"Lets go!" he yelled. Kagome on his back he jumped into the air, Sango and Miroku upon Kiarara's back.

Sesshomaru could smell her, she wasn't that far away. He knew this would probably be a trap. He had let her fall into harm and now he was going to get her back. This is where she would be, but it was just an empty clearing. Sesshomaru knew better. This was Naraku's barrier. Inuyasha soon caught up and with his red tetsuiga in tow he blew apart the barrier in a single blow. There were so many buildings…which one could she be in? He couldn't smell anything besides Naraku and the miasma that surrounded him. A voice boomed around them. "I see you have come for her, Sesshomaru, you two must be very close." he said with a deep sickening laugh. "She is in one of these buildings, there are fifty to choose from and in each one awaits a…surprise." Said Naraku. "I am waiting in the right one…Good luck."

Sesshomaru did not like being messed with. Inuyasha and his friends ran up beside him. "Leave, this is my battle," he said coldly drawing Tokijin. "It is ours, Naraku has done us all harm in one way or another!" Inuyasha said angrily. "Will both of you quit bickering, this is what Naraku wants, to distract us so we can't find him. "Kagome said loudly. "The only way we can find him in this maze is to work together. "This Sesshomaru works alone." He said coolly. "Why don't I just blow the whole place apart with my wind scar?" Inuyasha asked holding up tetsuiga. "No." Sesshomaru said quickly. "Why not?" he asked heatedly. "Just, no." he said walking towards the closest shrine. Kagome leaned towards Inuyasha. "Think about it, you might kill or hurt his mate." She whispered. "I don't give a rat's ass if I kill his youkai whore." He said "WIND SC…" Inuyasha didn't get to finish. Sesshomaru grabbed tetsuiga from him and threw it away from him. One hand around his throat, the claws of his other hand poised for attack, glowing a sickly green. "I will kill you here and know, if you try that again." He said icily. His eyes were streaked with bloody red. Inuyasha knew that he meant it and wouldn't hesitate to do so either. He dropped Inuyasha to his feet, straightening himself. "Miroku and I will take the shrines on the left. Kagome, Inuyasha take the ones on the right." Sango said taking charge. She held her hirokotsu close, her mask tied around her face. "Lets go."

Sango and Miroku ran into the first cabin…it was empty. They knew something was up and stayed together, making their way to the back of the shrine. Soon they were walking in complete darkness. Sango turned red enough to light the room when she felt something soft work its way up her thigh and touch her. You pervert!" she screamed. Hitting Miroku with the giant boomerang. "I didn't do anything Sango, I swear! And I can prove it too!" he said placing both hands gently onto her shoulders. The touching continued. "Then what's touching me!?" she screamed leaping up, slicing through the air with her concealed sword. "Sacred sutra!" he shouted pulling something from the folds of his robes. The cavern filled with soft white light.

A tentacle had been wrapping its way up Sango's leg without her noticing. One shot up and grabbed Miroku by the wrist. Another grabbed Sango around the neck. He stabbed at them with his golden staff. Sango slashed through them wildly with her blade. There were so many! "Ahhh!" she screamed as they began to pull her downward, constricting her. Wrapping around her throat. She sputtered for air. She felt something hot slam against her neck. It was a sutra, melting away the vine like tentacles. "Get behind me!" Miroku yelled. "WIND TUNNEL!" the tentacles seemed to go on forever as they were pulled into the endless void that was his hand. Soon the hall was barren and empty. "Thank you Miroku." She gasped resting against his shoulder.

Things were going a little better for Inuyasha and Kagome. In their shrine they had only found a bird demon and with one attack it had dissolved from Inuyasha's iron reaver soul stealer. Sesshomaru had come upon a room filled with a hazy fog. It smelled of flowers and made his drowsy. The door slammed shut behind. With one flick of his poison whip one of the shrines walls dissolved allowing him to breathe once again. A small girl sat at the back of the room. She looked harmless sitting with her legs crossed. She looked as though she were praying. Her eyes flashed open. They were a brilliant blue and a wicked smile came across her face. "You have avoided my poison…but not me…" it whispered in a rasp. "I don't have time for petty demons such as you." He said. Sesshomaru raised the whip once again. "Do I not remind you of your comrade, the girl that loves you so, I believe her name was Rin." She said giggling softly. "No you do not!" he said the whip lashing. A barrier transcended around her. "You cannot kill me that easily. She split into two, then four, and then eight and so on. "So which one of me is real?" they all asked. "You know time is running out for her, the one you came to save, for every hour it takes for you to find her one more time she will be tortured in anyway her creator chooses." she said smiling brightly. This girl rubbed him the wrong way, since her barrier had to drop for so many more to fit into the shrine; whichever one was her was exposed. He drew Tokijin quickly. "Dragon strike!" he yelled. She let out a shrill cry as it washed over her and her copies. Then she and the shrine were gone.

In the dungeon bellow one of the shrines Kagura cried silent tears. His unrelenting grip on her heart was almost too much. She couldn't scream, she couldn't even breathe. "This is repayment for what happened last time." Naraku said bitterly. "Your torture has yet to have even begun." He whispered into her elfin ear. Just as she was about to lose consciousness his grip released and she could breath once more. Her chest heaved as she lay on the cold stone floor. She didn't have the strength to move. Her lungs had felt like they were on fire. Shackles appeared around her wrists and ankles. Warmth washed over her, it was so inviting. She blacked out and lay motionless upon the floor. "That is enough for now." He thought, her heart disappearing from his hand.

They worked through shrine after shrine. Some were difficult and some were not so much. There was a range from harmless sprites to viscous demons. Finally they all met up when only three shrines remained. They were panting sweat clinging to their skin, the adrenaline rushing, and blood pumping loudly in their ears. They were battered and bruised, Inuyasha sporting a gash above his eye, Miroku looked as though he had a limp, Kagome had a welt across her arm where her blouse had been torn, and even Sesshomaru's arm was bleeding from a strike of a dragon demon. "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "Do you know which one Naraku is in?" she asked. Inuyasha paused. "He resides in the middle shrine." Sesshomaru said cutting in. "Lets go." Inuyasha said raising his sword into the air. "No, it is my mate that has been taken, therefore it is my battle to fight." Sesshomaru declared stepping forth. "Not a chance!" Inuyasha barked. "We have waited too damn long to pass this up!" he yelled his fists clenched. "Will you two stop it, we are wasting valuable time!" Kagome interjected once again, their arguing seemed feudal.

They entered the shrine weapons poised to attack. The room was dimly lit, candles flickering softly in the background. Two metal doors shot open revealing an ominously dark passage. They entered paying careful attention to the sounds around them. They heard nothing but the crunch of dirt and pebbles beneath their feet. They heard a muffled scream and something being dragged away "Sango!" Miroku cried whipping around. "We must go back and get her!" Kagome cried. "No. Inuyasha said, we have come to far to go back now…" he said dismally. "She would want us to go on, and avenge her family's death." He said softly. "But…"Kagome stuttered. "No buts." Inuyasha said grimly. "We must continue onward." and that was what they did.

Slowly they were picked off one by one until only Inuyasha and Sesshomaru remained. "I have a bad feeling about this." Inuyasha said darkly. "We have been walking for a long time." He said. "I know you have wanted to kill me for the past few hundred years but this is it, this is where we take out Naraku, this is the end.." he said staring his elder brother straight into his eyes. "We need to work together to kill him." He declared. "We?" Sesshomaru stated his eyes glowing a soft gold in the darkness. "Who said I would be willing to accept your offer?" he asked bluntly. "Because I know you value your life." Inuyasha said wiping sweat from his brow. Sesshomaru considered this for a moment. He thought of Kagura, wondering what pain she had already suffered through. "You have yourself a deal little brother." Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha looked shocked but kept his mouth shut. "He must really love this woman to work with me in order to save her." He thought to himself. They continued walking until they came to a light at the end of the tunnel. They must have been a mile under ground; it was just so cold and foreboding. They walked into the light ready to fight. It was a large room, almost like a coliseum. It was lit softly with candles and oil lamps. "Welcome." Boomed a voice. "You are finally here." It stated mockingly. "Show yourself Naraku, you coward!" Inuyasha yelled waving the tetsuiga in the air. "Now be patient Inuyasha, you have passed my tests and we shall soon do battle." Naraku's voice said. The lights flickered and before them appeared Naraku in his baboon pelt. Tentacles shot up from under the suit in all directions. Sesshomaru jumped into the air slashing them away only for them to quickly re-accumulate together and form more tentacles.

Miasma was in a purple haze surrounding them, engulfing them in its whole. It burned their eyes and noses, but each of them kept fighting. They were formidable opponents with the strength of the wind scar and the dragon strike. The way they fought leaping, dodging, and sidestepping it looked almost as though they were doing an elaborate dance. The battle raged, parts of Naraku's body littering the dusty dirt floor and soon clustered around their legs binding them together. Inuyasha thrashed breaking free and continuing onward. It seemed feudal, endless, like the battle would never cease.

When one of Naraku's appendages tried to throw aside Tokijin Sesshomaru realized that his poison fumes and whip didn't n mix well with Naraku's miasma and it completely dissolved bits of his body. If he did this to all of Naraku, he wouldn't be able to regroup…and with the power of the wind scar and his poison spray, they would kill Naraku…

"Inuyasha use the wind scar!" he ordered. "Now!" Inuyasha had no objection at harming Naraku. As the winds scraped together forming the fissure that was the wind scar, Sesshomaru sprayed as much poison as his body cold muster. The toxic spray was sent everywhere, melting pieces of the stone that the walls were made of, and burning through the one being that fueled their hatred. He let out an un-earthly cry as he dissolved under the pressure of the wind scar and his body destroyed from the acidity in the sickly green poison…

They stood there simply staring at each other. They had done it. Once they had put aside they're differences and worked together they were capable of killing Naraku. They both panted. "This is finished." Inuyasha said aloud resting against a wall. "This isn't over." Said Sesshomaru. "There is still the matter of my mate." He reminded him. Without saying anything more Sesshomaru rushed towards the back of the room where another tunnel awaited him. As he flew through the corridors he met several flights of stairs, sending him spiraling further and further down into the earth. When he came to a large wooden door braced with iron, it was so cold he could see his breath.

He air smelled of the unmistakable odor of death. He pushed open the door with one arm and he felt more of the putrid air wash over him.

There she lay, in the kimono he had gotten her, though battered, bruised, and unconscious. She was alive. He melted the shackles that held her in place and scooped her up into his arms. Her skin was as cold as ice. It brought back the memories of the night she had gone missing in the freezing rain. He remembered the jade bracelet that he had found. He still had it in the lining of his sleeve. "When she wakes I should give it to her." He thought walking back towards the wooden door. He could feel something against his skin that he had never felt before, her heart beat.

Inuyasha had found all of his friends outside of the last shrine. They were all outside trying to get back in. The doors had slammed shut behind them and they were simply forced to wait. They all watched as Sesshomaru came through the doors cradling Kagura in his arms. They gawked at each other in surprise. "Her?" Inuyasha thought. "Good bye, Inuyasha.' He said taking to the air to soon meet with his comrades.

"What was that about?" Sango asked. "Why did he say good bye to you?" she asked. He went on to tell them what had happened, how they ended up working together and conquering Naraku. "But we still need to find Kohaku and Naraku's jewel shards. "You mean these?" Inuyasha asked holding up a nearly complete jewel. Kagome gasped and smiled a huge grin. The others watched in amazement. Inuyasha reached out and took the small bottle of shards Kagome held. He emptied the contents into his palm. They began to glow and fused together with the nearly complete jewel. There were only a few more bits missing…

Back in the clearing where Rin and Jaken had been ordered to wait Sesshomaru returned with Kagura, just as he swore to himself he would. Rin and Jaken ran up to him. Before they could say anything he interjected. "Naraku…is dead." Kagura stirred in his arms. "Oh.." she groaned her eyes adjusting to the light. "My heart!" she gasped her hand flying to the inner lining of her kimono. She could feel her heart beating in her chest. It was a wondrous feeling, instead of the emptiness that had once filled her being because of that one missing piece. "Is Naraku gone?" she asked. Her eyes the size saucers, full of hope and wonder sparkling brightly within them. "Am I finally free?" she asked. "Naraku has perished." He said looking down at her. She looked like she was glowing, radiating peace and happiness. Tears welled in her eyes as she took handfuls of his silken haori and held him close. "Thank you so much." She whispered. He had frozen. He relaxed into her embrace putting a hand on the small of her back. She leaned up towards his lips. He cleared his throat loudly, reminding her of his retainers watching them intently. She blushed red sitting down.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what do we do now that Naraku has been defeated?" Jaken asked while tending a fire for the night. "I believe we should travel to the Western Lands and rest in the castle." He said resting upon a lower branch; he was truly exhausted from so much battle and use of his poison. It took a great toll and stressed his body very much to conjure so much poison as to kill Naraku. He would definably sleep tonight. Kagura slept already, skipping dinner and going right to sleep.

Once all was quite and everyone slept. Sesshomaru went to Kagura and watched her as she slept. He took the bracelet he had in his sleeve and slid it onto her small wrist. She awoke, smiling groggily up at him. "I love you Sesshomaru." She whispered. He blinked. She had never said that before except for when they had made love for the first time. He looked down at her thoughtfully and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you too." He said brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I never knew you had a palace." She said

To him. "You shall like it there." He said to her. "It is a magnificent place." He said standing. "Wait." She said reaching out to him. "What is it?" he asked. "May I sleep with you?" she asked looking rather hopeful. "I suppose." He said. He knelt down and took her into his strong arms. He leapt up to a branch in the tree in a single bound. She took in a breath. It had surprised her, and left adrenaline pumping through her veins.

He situated her onto his lap so she was leaning back against his chest. Her head rested at his shoulder and his arms wrapped around her waist loosely so she would feel safe. And that was how they slept through the night. Early in the morning just after the sun had risen. Ah-Uhn's saddlebags were packed and breakfast eaten. They set out towards The Western lands where Lord Sesshomaru ruled.

Yes, yes I know it was mushy and gushy and out of character. But I couldn't help it. It is very hard to be in character in this kind of fan fiction and also I'm sorry that it took so long for me to post it. I simply had writers block and a severe case of JPL. (Just plain laziness)


	8. Reminder

I would just like to let you all know, just because the word "Final" is in the last chapter title doesn't mean the story is ov

I would just like to let you all know, just because the word "Final" is in the last chapter title doesn't mean the story is over. You know what that means!! More Fanfiction!! Yay!! Now if you all could wait patiently while I write the real chapter eight.

Thank you,

Kaitlyn


	9. Unexpected

Things in this story such as the castle and the way they prepare baths are probably not historically accurate for the 1500's b

Things in this story such as the castle and the way they prepare baths are probably not historically accurate for the 1500's but it was easier to write it this way.

Kagura's eyes went wide as the castle came into view. It was amazing, with stonewalls towering above them. She stared in awe as she walked behind Sesshomaru. He pulled open the doors and handmaids, servants, and ladies in waiting approached them. "Lord Sesshomaru you have returned." One said bowing deeply to him. "Can I prepare you and your wards a meal?" she asked. "Yes, and please prepare baths for myself and the others." Sesshomaru said continuing on up a grand staircase.

Maidservants went in all different directions. "Miss." One said. In the shock of it all Kagura wasn't listening. "Miss." A hand maiden said again. "Oh, yes?" Kagura asked. "Could you come with me as I prepare you a bath?" she asked sweetly. "Sure." Kagura said. "How do you keep from getting lost in here?" she asked as they walked down a long corridor. "I have worked for Lord Sesshomaru's family for many years; I have the palace memorized by heart." She said with a soft smile.

They came to a screen and the woman opened it bowing as Kagura passed through. There was a large tub on golden legs and a pump on the wall. "The water comes from a natural hot spring so it is always warm." Said the lady beginning to pump the water. Steam soon filled the room. "What is your name?" Kagura asked standing awkwardly in a corner as the woman pumped water into the tub. "Akura." She said rolling up her sleeves as they slid down her arms into the water. "The water is ready Miss." Akura said standing. "Call me Kagura." She said nodding to her. "Now let me take your old clothes and I shall leave you in peace, when you are finished, ring this bell." Akura said turning Kagura and undoing her obi quickly. "Sesshomaru must have it very good with these servants waiting on him hand and foot." Kagura thought. The woman put the layers of her kimono into a wicker basket, and when she came to the last layer her eyes widened in shock at the two distinctive puncture marks in the junction of her shoulder and collar bone. She picked up the wicker basket, took another bow and quickly left the room; surely to spread the word that Lord Sesshomaru had taken a mate.

Kagura sighed, the water felt wonderful. Every muscle in her body relaxed and she sat limply in the therapeutic waters. Her aching feet and back were now soothed. A floor above her Sesshomaru also sat calmly in a bath processing his thoughts. But they all had seemed to have fled his mind. He had not been able to relax like this in ages. Kagura sighed again washing herself with the perfumed bars of soap and shampoo provided. She traced invisible circles in the water sending ripples through the water. What would they do now that Naraku was dead? She didn't really care right now. She climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself and then realized she was supposed to ring the bell.

She did and two maidservants came to her immediately one holding a long comb and the other a white robe. Akura was the one holding the robe. She quickly pulled it over her shoulders. "Sit, Lady Kagura." She said pulling up a stool near a beautiful vanity. The mirror was rimmed with gold etching and had clawed golden feet like the bath. The two maids patted her hair dry and ran the smooth ebony locks through the carved wooden comb. Soon her hair was woven into a simple bun atop her head. The servant whose name she didn't know held the door for her as they walked down another hall. Akura provided her with cloth white slippers; she said it was improper for a lady of her status to not wear shoes. Frankly they were really comfortable and soft, but she didn't see what the big deal was if her feet were bare. They led her to another room with another vanity, a wardrobe and a velvet chase lounge of a deep plum. "Come, milady." The unfamiliar one said pulling open the wardrobe. There were many different kimonos all of many layers of fine silk or satin. "Choose your pick." Akura said smiling sweetly at her. Kagura chose a sage green one with five layers and intricate designs of darker green blossoms. The inner layer plain white, the others were black, a darker green, and a pale yellow. It took awhile to tie each one into place, and finally it was tied with a black obi. Her fan was tucked gently inside and her feathers adorned her hair as they always did. Another servant popped her head inside the door. "Lady Kagura, dinner is served." She said before quickly leaving.

The dinning hall was magnificent. The table was set for four, silk cushions at each place setting. Delicious food adorned the table like sweet biscuits, rice, sake, shrimp, lobsters, fresh breads, and raw meat obviously for Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru and his wards entered the room. They all looked fresh and clean. Rin wearing a blue yukata with a red obi, Jaken wearing what appeared to be the same attire only in a different color, and Sesshomaru, wore no armor or his swords, only his pants and flowing hakama which was belted with a red sash matching the honeycomb family crests of his kimono. They all sat down and began to eat. She had never seen Sesshomaru eat like this; He cut the meat gracefully with his claws and brought a piece to his mouth. "Am I supposed to do that?" she wondered. She skewered a shrimp with one of her claws and brought it to her mouth. It wasn't as difficult as it looked.

For the rice she did use chopsticks though, it would have been difficult to use her claws for that. "Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked from across the table. "Yes?" he replied. "May I go see Ah-Uhn after dinner at the stables?" she asked. "Yes, but then get to bed." He said taking a sip of his sake. "Yes my Lord." She said smiling. Soon dinner was finished and the plates were cleared away. Lord Sesshomaru rose from his seat and the others did as well. Jaken went in one direction, Rin in another, and she just kind of stood there not knowing quite where she was supposed to be.

"You follow me; I will show you our bedroom." He said taking her arm and soon they reached the top of the staircase. They continued down the long hall and turned left and they came to a large set of mahogany doors. He pushed them open; at least a hundred candles were glowing softly throughout the room. There was a huge bed at least ten feet long and ten feet wide. The linens were woven of fine silk, pillows stuffed with feathers. The headboard was carved intricately from ebony. Her mouth was agape. It was absolutely beautiful. Sesshomaru pulled sleeping robes from a drawer and began to undress. "Where are my sleeping robes?" she asked facing away from him, blushing a bit. "My clothes are on this side of the room, yours are on that side." He ran a comb through his silken hair and crawled into the large bed. He watched her as she changed into her blue robes. She could feel his eyes watching her. She undid her hair and it tumbled to her waist, still a bit damp from her bath. She hung her kimono over a chair and crawled into bed as well. The candles flickered dramatically throughout the room. He took in the scent of her hair and pulled the fabric of her kimono down to her shoulder, He pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck. She smiled and chuckled a bit. "Is he always in the mood?" she wondered. "To celebrate our union, to celebrate the death of Naraku, and to celebrate passion itself." He whispered to her. She sighed as he kissed farther down her spine, taking his time and eliciting shivers that rippled down her vertebrae. She rolled over to face him her eyes sparkling with joy. "To celebrate our union, to celebrate Naraku's death, and to celebrate passion itself." She repeated, her hand tracing the scarlet markings on his face with a clawed finger. She leaned forward and kissed him gently losing her way in all of it, the pleasure, the excitement, and the happiness.

Kagura awoke the next morning to sunlight filtering through the curtains in their room. She stretched and stood. She didn't really know where to go, so she put on a Terri cloth robe and began to wander throughout the castle. "Sesshomaru?" she called. The first door she came to was unlocked. She knocked softly. "Sesshomaru?" she called again. Kagura turned the knob and the door creaked open. Inside was what looked to be a baby's room. It was filled with dust and cobwebs that looked many years old. She stepped inside; small plumes of dust filled the air from every step she took on the old white rug. There was a white bassinet, white dressers, and shelves of old toys and books. There was one that stood out particularly; it was bound with black leather, and a ribbon for a bookmark.

She picked up the old book and wiped off the dust. It was a journal. She opened where the bookmark had kept its place. It was the last page to be written in. She began to read. The last entry wasn't really an entry, it was a letter.

"Dearest Inu no Tashio,

By the time you have read this I will have gone. I am sorry to leave you and young Sesshomaru like this. But this union was not of love; it was as you know arranged. I was betrothed to you before I was even born. I'm not happy here with you. I bore you a child, an heir. Just as our parents wished, and that is all that they required of us. I have left for the one I truly do love. Sesshomaru will not remember me, by the time he is old enough to read. I simply want him to know that I do love him, and he is not the reason why I leave. Goodbye Inu No Tashio.

"Kagura." Said a sharp voice. It snapped her quickly out of her entrancement. "Sesshomaru, I was looking for you." She said still holding the black book. He took it from her hands and snapped it shut. "I'm sorry." She said quickly. "Do not be, you didn't know any better." He said leading her out of the room. "It is time for breakfast, Kakashi and Akura will help you dress." He said. Akura and Kakashi quickly appeared in the hallway. "Come this way miss." They said guiding her down a flight of stairs.

Sesshomaru let out a heavy sigh. That book was what brought him pain and bother. And now that Kagura had read it, she knew why he was so reserved, quite and stoic. His mother had left him but days after birth, abandoning him, leaving him to be raised by maids and servants. He was so bitter and angry with her. It deeply worried him that Kagura would leave him as well.

A floor beneath Sesshomaru's study Kagura blushed red as her handmaids stripped her of her robe and began to wrap her in silk. She knew they had seen the evidence of their lovemaking, the bites and the marks on her throat and chest. Soon she wore seven layers of fine silk and satin. The two maids pulled the obi tightly around her waist until she had slight difficulty breathing. She wore woven slippers. Another maid wrapped her hair tightly around a long wooden comb and clipped it in place. She wasn't very comfortable. "Do I really have to wear all this today?" she asked. "No, no, not at all." They said. She sighed as best she could in relief. "You change for every meal and tea ceremony." They said to her. She gaped at them in horror. "You mean I have to take this all off and put more on four times a day?" she asked. "Were sorry miss, it is tradition." They said. "Now can we take you down to breakfast?" Kakashi asked. Kagura nodded.

The table was set much like it was the night before. Four place settings and cushions at each one. Today the table was adorned with sweet teas, fruits, nuts, and fresh berries, milk, and juices. "Good morning Lady Kagura." Rin said sitting down at the table. "You look really beautiful." She said squirming a bit in her seat. Sesshomaru entered the room, today he wore a simple white robe and black pants much like the ones he typically wore. Jaken was especially talkative this morning. Kagura tuned him out as she ate. She was thinking about that book and the way Sesshomaru had reacted. "So that was his nursery." She thought. I wonder what else lies about in this house?" she wondered. "I will have to do some exploring." She thought to herself tapping her chopstick to her plate.

Soon breakfast was eaten and Kagura ready to go exploring was escorted in a different direction. "Come Lady Kagura, it is time for you to get ready for tea ceremony."Kakashi said. "You do know what tea ceremony is right?" A shorter girl asked walking beside her. "Um…" she said confused. "Well, no not exactly." Kagura said as they led her down another hall. "Yuki, she will learn soon enough, with you fetch us lavender oil, aloe Vera, and fresh blossoms?" one of the older women asked. "Yes lady Okitokie." Yuki and she rushed down another corridor. They brought Kagura to the bathroom she had been in the night before. One woman ran water, another picked through the armor, and another began undoing the seven layers of her kimono. The youngest servant, Yuki returned with the goods her senior maid had asked for. She poured the oil into the bath and laid the blossoms on a wooden counter. Kagura stepped into the tub and melted into the water.

She must have fallen asleep as they washed her hair with the aloe, filed her claws, buffed them to a shine, dried her hair, wound it around a wooden comb, wove the blossoms into her hair, and rubbed lotion into her hands and feet. They woke her gently and pulled her from the tub. Kagura wobbled a bit still half asleep. They dried her and brought out her terry cloth robe. "Sit lady Kagura." Said Okitokie. They powdered her face white, with talc, darkened her lashes with charcoal, and stained her lips with rouge. She looked up into a mirror, she didn't even recognize herself.

The youngest servant yuki returned with woven bamboo soles and silk ties. "Hold out your foot Lady Kagura." She said looking up from her spot kneeling on the floor. She held out her foot and the girl strapped the sandals to her feet. She stood and stretched. Then she remembered how restricted her range of motion was. "Come miss to the tea gazebo." Said the senior maid servant Okitokie. They padded down the hall in a little triage. The maids navigated their way through the maze with ease turning left then right then right again. They came to beautiful French doors leading out into a garden. Sun filtered lazily through reflecting off the many koi ponds.

Trumpet vine and morning glory wound its way up a wooden trellis along one side of the stone walls. Paths were laid with cobble stone and lined with bleeding hearts, fox glove, roses, daisies, posies, nesternum, petunias, and other plants she didn't know the names of. At the very end of the path there was a cedar gazebo with ceramic roof tiles. ""There is where we will practice." Said Yuki. Kagura knew much of making tea, when she served Naraku she would make him tea every evening. But in fear of being poisoned she was told to sip it before giving it to him. One time she did try to slip him a neurological poison that would paralyze him and destroy his senses. She pretended to take a swig of the concoction and set it in front of him. "Kagura." He said pushing the tea away from him. "I have changed my mind, I will have none tonight." He said smiling at her. She cursed to herself. "Will you finish it for me?" he asked with a hint of a smirk at his lips.

"Oh, no thank you." She said rising from her seat. "Kagura, drink it." He said coldly. He was smiling now, he knew. She knew not what to do. She tried to knock over the glass but Naraku held it fast. Drink it or else." He warned smugly. She took a dainty sip and set it back down on the table. "All of it." He ordered. She began to cry as she picked up the cup and finished it in one gulp. She sat there for a moment, and began to feel dizzy and feverish. The room began to spin. She fell to the floor pupils dilated wide spitting up vomit. Strange shapes and colors streamed in her vision. Soon she couldn't move and her vision was fading. Naraku sat calmly watching her sweat and suffer upon the floor. All went black but her eyes remained open. "Kanna." Said Naraku "Take care of this mess." And with that he left the room.

"Miss Kagura, are you alright?" Okitokie asked. She had zoned off remembering the bitter memories. She lay bedridden for weeks as her sister sweat the poison from her skin with poultices and herbs. "Oh, I'm fine she said sitting in one of the wicker chairs. Without being told, she measured out the loose tea with the scoop and poured it into the pot. She added the hot water and began to whisk it together. She poured it into the cups and set them around the table. "I thought you didn't know anything about tea ceremony?" said Yuki. "You did it perfectly." She said smiling wide. "I didn't know it had a name, or that it was a ceremony." She said a little embarrassed. "I guess we have time before lunch, you're free to do as you please." Said Okitokie, obviously impressed.

She re-traced her steps back to the vanity room and changed into a simple yukata; she wore no shoes or make-up and began to tread through the halls. She came to a hall with so many doors all heavy set and intricately carved. She came to the first one and pushed it open. It was a library, shelves and shelves filled with old leather bound books ran along the walls. Two high backed chairs sat in front of an empty hearth. She didn't know where to start. Some were in languages she had no idea how to read; others were atlases and old records. She browsed through more and more and actually was very interested in. A sketch fell out of one. It was a picture of a great demon who resembled Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, was this the Inu no Tashio she had read about or was this a Grand Father or an uncle? She wondered. The paper was yellowed and slightly torn. She tucked it into the folds of her kimono and went on. Next was a book bound in reddish leather? She cracked it open and it turned out to be a book of sutras. She let out a yelp as it burned her hand and left a portion of it charred black. "Aghh." She winced holding it close. It continued to burn even after contact had ended seconds ago. She cradled it as it bled softly. A single drop of blood hit the white carpet.

Three floors below Sesshomaru's nose twitched. He could sense she was in pain and he could smell her blood. Even this sent his senses to a haze as he hastily flew up the stairs. The bond to his demoness mate was so strong even if she was afflicted with something as minor as a paper cut would get his attention. He came to the floor she was on and scanned the halls. She was at the very end in the library. In a single jump her stood in the door way. She sat upon the large armchairs clutching her wrist. She had torn her yukata and wrapped it around her hand; blood soaked through and was dripping onto her lap.

He looked at her hand and then to the book of sutras. "Come, I shall take you to the infirmary." He said taking her un-afflicted hand and led her down the stairs and to a room with row of cots. "What would he need all of these beds and medicines for?" she though as he settled her onto one of the immaculate white cots. A human woman came into the room carrying a black leather bag. "A human!?" she thought. "Sesshomaru hates humans, why would he hire her?" she pondered. The girl gasped. "What a horrible sutra burn, what was it that you touched?" She asked un-wrapping the cloth she had bound the injury with. "It was a book of sutras; I don't know what it was exactly." Kagura said.

The nurse unwrapped her hand and filled a bowl with water and added a clear solution."Here, rest your hand in the basin." She said. Kagura did so and quickly drew her hand away from the sting and shot a nasty look at the woman. "It's just water and antiseptic." She said. Kagura sighed and slowly placed her hand back into the bowl. "May I take your vitals; it was a rather bad burn?"She asked taking out a stethoscope. Kagura nodded. She placed the cold instrument beneath her kimono. "Will you take a deep breath?" Kagura inhaled deeply and then let it go. "Could you take another?" the nurse asked. Kagura did.

The doctor wrinkled her forehead. "This is going to sound strange, but will you remove your robe?" Kagura looked at her strangely but untied her yukata and held it at her hips. The woman placed the cold instrument on her navel. The woman stood and motioned for Kagura to pull up her shirt. "Have you been having sex recently?"She asked. "What does that have to do with a sutra burn?" Kagura asked looking rather shocked. "Have you or haven't you?" she asked. "Yes…I have." She said awkwardly. The doctor sighed. "Lady Kagura, you're pregnant."


	10. Seeking Guidance

Author's Note: I have no excuse fo r how long it was since updated other than the fact I had lost my spark. But now that I have discovered there is a fifth movie and another set of episodes "Final Act" I have been inspired again. Please be kind and review, I am nothing with out my reader's reviews. -*-*-*-*-*

"I I…I I'm what?" Kagura stuttered in disbelief.

"You are pregnant." Said the doctor putting the stethoscope back around her neck. "The baby seems very strong. I could hear the whooshing of another heart beat when I checked yours."

"But, we mated for the first time less than two weeks ago!" she cried. "How is this even possible?" Kagura cried. Sesshomaru just stared in silence.

"Demon children grow at a rate much faster than that of a human. Nine months is the standard for humans, while demon offspring are ready to leave the womb at about two months. And I have an herbal powder you should put in your tea every day until the baby is born." Said the doctor walking towards the back of the room. Kagura hadn't noticed the wall lined entirely with shelves that were full of glass jars and phials. The doctor climbed up a ladder and reached for a large jar on the left. She brought it down with her and took out a scoop. She poured it into a cloth bag and pulled the drawstring. "Lady Kagura, a pinch should be enough, and remember, take it once every day. And there is still the matter of your hand." She said taking her hand out of the bowl of water and antiseptic. She patted it dry and smeared an ointment on it that had a strong acidic scent though it did not burn. The doctor then wrapped her hand neatly in bandages and started to put away the supplies. "You are free to go Lady Kagura." She said waiving her farewell.

Kagura looked to Sesshomaru; he was staring blankly ahead with no sign of recognition that it was time to leave. His eyes were clouded over with thought. "Sesshomaru?" she asked putting her hand on his arm.

"Hmm?" he asked his eyes returning to normal.

"Are you angry?" she asked looking down to her stomach and then to him.

"I am not angry." He said looking to her. Sesshomaru leaned down to kiss her and cupped her face. "Do not worry, things shall be well. But there is something I need to do. I should be back in a few hours." He said walking away from her.

"Where are you going?" she asked going after him. "Do not worry; he said continuing down the hall. I will be safe."

Kagura looked down at her feet and then back to the door he had just walked out of. What was she supposed to do now? "I'll go back to the library, but I'll avoid the red books." She said heading towards the stairs. If she could, she was going to research demon pregnancy and birth, the Inu family tree, and the Inu heritage. "And they are not dragging me back into that dressing room until dinner." She thought to herself going up the stairs.

Sesshomaru fled from the castle seeking his sanctuary. It was on the castle grounds and no one knew of it other than his father and him. He rarely did this, only seeking spiritual guidance when absolutely necessary. He walked past the gardens and the prayer grounds. His father's great grandfather had built this with his own two hands millennia ago. He came to a knotted old tree and stepped upon a great twisted root. The dirt fell away and opened a staircase winding down into the ground. He stepped lightly, avoiding the fifth and eighth steps as they were cracked and degraded. The pathway above him sealed as he headed further into the earth. It was hot and the air was humid. There was a clear pool in the middle of it all that fell from a small water fall. The waters were hot but not unbearable.

Sesshomaru stripped down to his under garments and waded into the water. He knelt, situating himself just beneath the water fall and let the steaming water pour over him. He had taken tenseiga with him and clutched it in his arms. It would not rust in the water as it was a demon blade and was impervious to the weakening that other blades were prone to. Sesshomaru inhaled and exhaled deeply, relaxing and calming himself. He didn't know how much time had passed but he wasn't thinking about it. All he did was concentrate on his breath and the purifying waters.

He felt a tingle in his toes and knew it was coming, an intense warmth spread over him that had nothing to do with the heat of the water. The tingle moved up his legs and to his waist, to his chest, to his arms, and finally up his neck and to the tips of his ears. "Father, I seek your guidance for I am faced with a situation I have never come upon." He said speaking in a clear loud voice. The dead could be hard of hearing.

He waited, keeping his eyes closed and mind open. He took another breath and exhaled, waiting. Behind his eyelids light danced and an energy surrounded him, His eyes flew open and all was still. His great and noble father stood before him in a perfect vision. "My son, Sesshomaru. You look troubled, why is it that you have summoned me here today?" he asked sitting in the water as well.

Sesshomaru smiled softly. "Father, I have taken a mate. I once stood with a loathing towards humans and half breeds. Yet she is the latter. I have fallen into hypocrisy yet I couldn't care less." He said looking to the great demon.

"My son that is nothing to be ashamed of. I always thought it unwise for you to look down upon them. I would say you have progressed. Congratulations my son, you have found the right woman and I couldn't be happier. But the thing that matters most is, are you happy?" He asked with genuine concern.

"Yes Father, I am happy. She is the right woman for me. But that actually isn't why I have summoned you here today." He said taking a deep breath.

"Oh really? It isn't?" His father asked curiously.

"A child has been conceived in our union." Sesshomaru said softly.

The great dog demon was silent. He let out a deep hearty laugh. "Congratulations my son! You will make a good father! Atta boy!" he cried clapping his eldest son on the back.

Sesshomaru was taken aback. "But father, I don't know how to care for a child!" he cried. "I know not what to teach him, I don't want to be a disappointment to my child." He said closing his eyes and tilting his head away.

"What, do you think? I knew how to take care of you the second you were born? You learn over time. When your mother left I was devastated and there was no on but myself and my servants to raise you. I trained you to fight and to care for yourself. You are a man Sesshomaru, you are self-sustaining and now you are being fruitful. I have succeeded in raising you and you will succeed in raising your children." He said putting his arm on his son's shoulder.

"Father, your words of wisdom are deeply reassuring. I thank you." Sesshomaru said looking to his father.

"Son, one more thing. Is she pretty?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Lovely, thin and young, with eyes of flame and lips of berry, and skin as pale as fresh cream." Sesshomaru said with pride in his own voice.

"Atta boy, that's my son." and with that his image faded and the tingling stopped.


End file.
